Interleukin-1-like activity in capsular material from Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans.

This paper describes the activity of a bacterial surface component (capsular material, CM) in biological assays for interleukin-1 (IL-1). CM from the periodontal pathogen Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans was tested in the following in vitro assays: mouse thymocyte proliferation (LAF assay), stimulation of collagenase and prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesis by articular chondrocytes, and stimulation of PGE2 synthesis by fibroblasts. In all these assays, CM gave a response similar to an IL-1 preparation. This ability to mimic IL-1 suggests an important role for CM in both cell-mediated immunity and connective tissue destruction in localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP).